Hot-air heater



1,561,497 F. S. WIER HOT AIR HEATER Filed March 30 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGZ ,LMM fli iz/WM ,4 4 4 44; ATTORNE/Y -2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

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Filed ldarh so, 1923 Nov. 17, 1925- 4 flw lllllll aLc FIG BY I Jaw M ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK S. WIER, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

nor-Arr. HEATER.

Application filed March 30, 1923. Serial N 0. 628,870.

To an whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK S. WIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hot-Air Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple and eflicient heater which will burn bituminous coal without waste of heat units or gases, and which will insure perfect combustion through a proper mixture of outside air and the gases from the coal. The heater contemplates the provi sion of a magazine in which the coal will coke, the gases distilled from the coal during the cooking process being mixed with highly heated air in the correct proportions to effect perfect combustion.

It is another object of my invention to provide a heater which may be constructed in separate units, each unit being complete in itself and comprising a magazine section and radiators, with the necessary grates, lining members and other parts. These units can be placed end to end; and when three or more units are put together, the end sections will be placed on the first and third; first and fifth, or, in other words, on the end units only of the heater, thereby enabling the magazine sections of the units to form a common chamber.

It is still another object of my invention to so arrange the hot blast heater, grates, baffle plates and lining members: so that they can be easily replaced through the ash pit door without dismantling the furnace.

Other important and incidental objects will be brought out inthe following specification, and particularly set forth in the subjoined claims. a

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a single unit heater. Figure 2 is a vertical, central, sectional viewtaken through the heater on the line 22 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a front View of a single unit heater. Figure 1 is a front view of a two unit heater. Figure 5 is a vertical, sectional view taken through the hot blast heater. Figure 6 is a bottom plan view thereof, showing the air holes. And Figure 7 is a plan View of the lining member used in the front of the magazine.

Throughout the specification and drawings, similar reference characters denote cor responding parts.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a detailed description of the various forms of embodiment of my invention illustrated therein, the numeral 1 in Figure 2 designates the front wall of a heater having a lower door 2 and an upper door?) closing openings in said wall. The upper door 3, which is the feed door, carries a draft door 4. (See Figures 1, 2 and 3.)

The numeral 5 designates the top, the nu meral 6 theback and the numerals 7, 7 the end of the magazine of the heater. Mounted in the front portion of the magazine is a llnmg member 8 which contains a plurality of vertical slots 9 to permit the free passage of air therethrough. (See Figures 2 and 7.)

Mounted within the magazine a short distance from the top 5, is a member 10 which forms with the latter a hot blast duct 11 which is closed and opened by the damper door 4. This duct 11 communicates at its rear end with a vertical duct 12 formed between the back wall 6 and a member 18 in front of it. (See Figure, 2.)

At its lower end the duct 12 opens into a hot blast heater or chamber 14 which is constructed as follows. Referring to Figures 2, 5 and 6, the heater 14 preferably comprises a hollow casting which is elbowshaped in vertical section. At its upper end this casting has a hook-shaped end 15 which interlocks with the hookshaped end 16 of a bridge-piece17 channeled at its outer end to receive the lower eno of the back wall 6 of the magazine Again referring to Figure 5, the casting 1 1 has a vertical back plate 18 which is recessed at its upper end to receive the lower end of the member 13 of the magazine. Projecting rearwardly anddownwardly in a curved manner from the back plate 18, through the middle portion of the casting, is a partition plate 19 which extends almost to the lower end 20 of the casting.

The bottom of the casting is arched at its middle portion, terminating near its ver tical plate portion 18 in a relatively flat part 21 which contains a row of equally spaced. air holes 22. Projecting downwardlyfrom the arched portion of the bottom of the casting 14, is aseries of nozzles 23 which co-operate with the air holes 22 in discharging highly heated air into the ma-gazine in front of a. baflle plate 24 mounted ona T bar 25. (See Figure 2.)

Secured between the bar 25 and a cross bar 26 in the lower front part of the heater, is a grate 27 upon which the coal 28 in the magazine rests. hen the magazine is filled with coal, and the latter is ignited, the air for combustion will enter through the draft opening the door 3 when the door 4 is raised. This air, as indicated by the a1-- rows in Figure 2, will flow through the ducts l1 and 12 into the upper portion of the casting 14. During its passage through the ducts ll and 12, this air will be heated by contact with the inembers 1O and'13 which are subjectedto the intense heat of the coal in the magazine. Further heating of this air takes place in its passage through the casting 14, in which it travels downwardly around the end of the plate 19 and then up wardly for egress through the nozzles 23 and air holes 22. The circuitous passage which the partition plate 19 requires of the air in its travel through the casting 14, subjects it to a large heating surface, with the result'that it is discharged through the nozzles-23 and air holes 22 in a super-heated condition. (See Figure 2.) 7

Just in front of the baffle plate 24 the hot air discharged from the nozzles 23 and ail holes 22 in the casting 14, will be mixed with the hot gases given off by the burning coal. The co-mingling of these gases with this highly heated air, which is assisted by the baflie plate 24, insures proper combus tion. These gases properly mixed with heated air, are directed upwardly by the baffle plate 24 against'the bottom of the casting 14, which is arched over the latter, to receive from these gases sufficient heat to maintain the air flowing through it at a very high temperature. It is thus seen that the means I have just described, highly heat this air before it unites with the hot gases produced by the burning coal, thereby facilit tating combustion.

The commingled gases and heated air pass over the baflle plate 24 into a combustion chamber 29 which forms the foundation for the radiator parts how to be described. Referring to Figure 2, the combustion chant ber 29 has a rear wall 30 which terminates at its upper end in a channel extension 31. The end 16 of the bridge piece 17 also is channeled to receive, with the channel portion 31 of the wall 30, the lower end of a radiator section 32 into which the gases pass from the combustion chamber 29.

The radiator section 32 terminates at its upper end in a flanged bend 33 for a bolted connection to the flanged bend 34 of aradi'ator section 35, the latter terminating at its lower end in a flanged bend 36 for a bolted connection to the flanged bend 37 of a radiator section 38 which communicates at its top with a duct 39 that discharges into a chimney not shown.

The radiator sections when joined together, taper inwardly from the point where the gas leaves the combustion chamber 29 to the point where they enter the duct 39. This taper is such as to conform as nearly as possible to the difference of volume of the gas as it is cooled in passing through the radiator.

As shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1, the portions of the radiator sections between their ends, which are round, are cross shaped to provide a maximum radiating su1- face without increasing their inside area. The ends of the radiator sections are made round to insure, better joints. In order that the ends of adjacent radiatorsections may be tightly joined, one end of each section contains a flange 40 which has an outwardly turned part 41 to fit over the flange 42 of the other section. (See Figure 2.)

Referring again to Figure 2, the radiator section 35 at its lower end has a horizontal tubular extension 43 which is connected to the rear wall 30 of the heater for projection through a hole 44 in said wall into the ash pit 45. Suitably secured to the outside portion of the wall 30 for the purpose of encircling the tubular extension 43 at the point where it enters the hole 44, is a collar 46. This collar has an outwardly projecting annular flange 47 of substantially larger diameter than that of the extension 43 which it surrounds, to receive between the latter and its inner periphery, suitable packing material 48 to make a gas tight connection between the rear wall 30 of the heater and said tubular extension 43 of the radiator section 35. By means of a set screw 49 which passes through the annular flange 47 of the collar 46 into the tubular extension 43, said collar is firmly connected to the latter. (See Figure 2.)

The hole 44 in the rear wall 30 of the heater is of suflicient width to allow for the expansion and contraction of the tubular extension 43 of the radiator section 35. Hingedly secured to the front end of said tubular extension, which lies within the ash pit 45, is a door 50 which may be opened to permit the ashes that accumulate in the radiator sections to be readily withdrawn. Projecting downwardly from the T bar 25 is an inclined plate 51 to which there is hingedly secured a door 52 that closes an ash removal opening to the combustion chamber 29, the bottom 53 of the latter inclining downwardly from the rear wall 30 to a point near said door to facilitate the removal of the ashes. (See Figure 2.)

For the purpose of regulating the quantity of air entering the duct 1-1, one side 54 w Figure 1.) The .front end of the side thereof is made adjustable-by hingedlyl securing its rear endwtothe member 10. (See 54 is free. to be moved laterally over this memher, as showirby dottedlines insaid figure, to vary the size of the opening through which the air that unites with the hot gases, is admitted. This adjustment is necessary to obtain perfect combustion from different grades of coal, since some coals require a larger portion of air for proper combustion than others.

Lining members 55 and 56 similar to the lining member 8, are preferably provided in the ends of the magazine as shown by dotted lines in Figures 3 and 4. It is eminently desirable that these lining members 8, 55 and 56 be arranged for vertical movement to free them from ash and to cause the coal to settle on the grate 27. To that end I have provided as a preferred means for elevating the lining member 8, a crank 57 which turns in a supporting piece 58 which projects upwardly from the cross bar 26. Secured to the inner end of the crank 57 is an eccentric 59 from which a pin 60 projects between two lateral enlargements 61, 61 on the lower end of the lining member 8. Therefore, when the crank 57 is rotated, the engagement of the pin 59 with these enlargements on the lining member will raise and lower it for the purpose of shaking ash from it and causing the coal near it to descend upon the grate. By-similar means the lining members 55 and 56 may be elevated and lowered for a like purpose.

The air that passes through the lining members 8, 55 and 56, and the grate 27, is supplied by a duct 62 which, like the duct 12, is subjected to the heat of the magazine, and which communicates at its upper end with the outside atmosphere through the opening that is regulated by the door 4t.

The front and end sections of the magazine are preferably tapered outwardly from top to bottom to cause the coal to settle easlly, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. I11 these same figures I have shown the doors 2 provided with hinged covers 63 which close openings through which the grates may be moved to shake the ash into the pit 45.

In Figure 4 I have shown two of my heater units joined together end to end and having a common magazine. Any number of these units may be placed end to end with end sections only on the two outer ones to form a heater having a common magazine. Simplicity, economy and eiiiciency are thus effected by my improved sectional heater in which the advantages of a single unit heater in the way of proper combustion and low fuel consumption will be multiplied in proportion to the number of these units joined together.

I do not wish to be limited to the details of construction and arrangement herein shown and described, and any changes or modifications may be made therein within the scope of the subjoined claims.

.Havingdescribed my invention, I claim:

1. In a hot air heater, a magazine, an air heating chambermounted in the lower portion of the heater adjacent said magazine and exposed to the hot gases formed in the latter, an air duct subjected to the heat of the magazine for conducting outside air downwardly to said heating chamber, the latter having. openings through which the heated air therein is discharged for proper mixture with the gases formed in the magazine, and a baffle plate over which the bottom of said chamber is arched to assist in effect ing the commingling of the gases with said air.

2. In a hot air heater, a magazine, agrate therefor, an air heating chamber mounted in the lower portion of the heater adjacent said magazine and exposed to the hot gases formed in the latter, an air duct subjected to the heat of the magazine for conducting outside air downwardly to said heating chamber, the latter having openings through which the heated air therein is discharged for proper mixture with the gases formed in the magazine, and a battle plate over which the bottom of said chamber is arched, projecting upwardly from said grate to assist in effecting the commingling of the gases with said air.

3. In a hot air heater, a magazine, an air heating chamber mounted in the lower portion of the heater adjacent said magazine, said chamber comprising a hollow elbowshaped casting, a curved partition projecting from the rear end of said casting to a point near its front end, a duct communicating with the upper part of said casting for delivering air thereto, and an arched bottom for said casting having openings through which the air heated-in its travel around the partition plate in said chamber, is discharged for combination with the hot gases formed in the magazine.

l. In a hot air heater, a magazine, an air heating chamber mounted in the lower portion of the heater adjacent said magazine, said chamber comprising a hollow elbowshaped casting, a curved partition projecting from the rear end of said casting to a point near its front end, a duct communicating with the upper part of said casting for delivering air thereto, a baflie plate below said casting, and a bottom for the latter arched over said baffle plate and containing openings therein through which the air heated in its travel around the partition plate in said chamber, is discharged to mingle with the hot gases formed in the magazine.

5. An air heater comprising a series of units joined end to end, a magazine in each subjected to. the heat of the magazine for supplying air for passage through saitlining members and the grate.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto: set my handthis 22' day of March, 192-3 FREDERICK swine, 

